Peeing Inside!

[Guest Shermanator]

Patton has always been a marker. He loves to squirt on everything. Its been this way for the 6 years we have owned him. At first, when he came home, it was the wall in our house. We did everything, frequent walks and potty breaks, vet work up, and tried behavior modification. He had a clean bill of health, and nothing worked. We resorted to a belly band, and after once peeing in the band, he stopped trying to mark, since the band was always dry. (We belly banded him at night, and went we went out, and when we were up, and with him, we'd simply watch him closely.) He had a favorite area- the corner of the wall right by the speakers. He'd hit it every time he thought he could get away with it.

Once we got the dog door, the inside marking stopped. Now when he pees, he must pee on something - the fence, the patio furniture, the AC unit and the house. But, its outside. Whew.

 

How ever, whenever we are out it public, he needs to mark. The pet store, and INSIDE other people's houses. Now in the pet store, I have to belly band him, which is never easy to do, juggling 2 dogs, a purse, the band, and dealing with their excitement of being out. It makes me nuts. I've tried working with him, walking through the store, just me and him, and correcting him every time it looked like he was going to lift his leg. Still doesn't work, and he wants to mark. Also whenever Patton is in someone else's home, when he first gets there, he needs to pee on somthing in the house. I have resorted to belly banding him when we first go into someone's home, and work with him to get him to NOT mark inside. Watching him and correcting him when it looks like he's going to mark. I should own stock in Nature's Miracle.

 

NOW Sherman has started it. Inside the pet store he wants to pee on something. Inside people's homes, he wants to mark something. In our house - no problems, no marking. Before we go into places, I make sure they have been walked for a little extra time, to let them pee as much as they can. However, the angel boy, Sherman, is marking. He did it on a food display at the pet store and in my MIL's home the first time he was there. He also has a clean bill of health.

 

Belly bands are a easy, but surefire resolution for us. I have several with elastic, so they are stretchy, and more comfortable. And, I know if they try to mark, I'm not around, they won't destroy something.

 

Is this something I will ever be able to stop them from doing? I feel super guilty, and feel like I cannot keep control of my dog. In every other sense they are great dogs.

 

Could it be when the are inside somewhere, they are nervous they cannot get outside when they want? (Home = dog door, open at all times to them.) Rar! Anyone else have this experience?

Edited May 13, 2010 by Shermanator

[Guest Swifthounds]

Until recently, I always had a pack of all male hounds (now I have two girls as well, which is a record for me). I teach every hound from the beginning, to not mark (not on walks, not all over the yard, and certainly not indoors anywhere). I discourage urination or marking on any vertical surface. I watch like a hawk. It probably helps that all of my dogs love to go with me for a ride in the car and visit someplace new. You mark, you lose that privilege.

 

Some never mark. Some have tried outdoors. Never had one brave enough to actually mark in my house. I simply make it very clear to them that marking isn't allowed and use belly bands and the tether method for new dogs. The first time they are off the tether and even try to mark, they get interrupted, corrected, and put back on the tether.

[Guest greytmiles]

Miles didn't start marking (he only does it on walks) until about 3 months after I had him. Up until then, he would pee only for pee-sake and always in the squat stance. Now I'm pretty sure he prides himself on how high up on a tree or telephone pole he can get it.

It never occured to me to curb this behavior (no pun intended) as a general rule, but I certainly don't allow him to do it on anyone's front yard or fence or landscaping or ornamental vase, etc. I try my best to keep it strictly to telephone poles and trees.

 

It must be so frustrating to deal with dogs that do it indoors. I hope a GTer with some experience there can help you out.

Hang in there!

 

Erin

[Guest Jennifer4719]

I have a female that loves to mark. So I know your frustration!!

[Guest GreyFan09]

The only time Comet tried to pee in our house was when we first got him. We saw him walk over to a silk plant in our living room, sniff and start to lift his leg. We yelled "NO!" right away and brought him right outside. He's never tried to pee in our house since. The only time he's marked in someone elses house was when I brought him over to my buddy's house who has 3 black labs, and for whatever reason, he felt he needed to mark a post down their basement. Perhaps it had something to do with the other dogs in the house? He's been in plenty of other peoples houses since, and has never done it again.

 

However, out on a walk, the's the king of sniffing and marking. He can't wait to visit the trees and fire hydrents on the curb to check out the new pee-mail!

[Batmom]

Scout around for a good trainer/behaviorist to work with you. In my experience, one of the keys to short-circuiting the behavior is timing; the other is response.

 

I'm not a fan of belly bands for general use, altho I sure do understand why you want one on when you go visiting other people. Belly bands are good for keeping pee off other things but not much use for training.

 

It might be worthwhile taking just one at a time to the store with you so you can better observe and respond to the behavior. When I catch a dog looking like he's about to mark, I don't correct so much as redirect. "Aah-aah, let's go out!" and immediately convey dog outside. Sometimes you have to do that several times in a row before dog gets the idea. Sometimes, all that's needed is the "Aaaaaah" and then "Good boy!" for not doing it. You can also redirect by asking the dog to sit, heel in a little circle with you -- things you can praise for, which is awesome.

[Guest 4dogscrazy]

I have a crazy marker too! Jesse must pee on everything outside, at least once a day. At least he does not try to mark the girls that I know of anyway! I do have problems taking him places, like the vet or the kennel. I think I will try to teach him to stop marking on everything in the yard, the landscaping has HAD it, and most of it is dead around the bottom. I never had a boy dog before, so I thought marking was normal. Thankfully he does not mark in the house, and has only done it twice. Once when I brought him home, and the second time was when we put up the tree (yea indoor plumbing mom, look!)

[greyhoundlady]

I guess I was lucky - my male only marked once in the house and (unfortunately) it was when we just brought him home - he walked casually into the bedroom, jumped on the bed and peed on the new quilt. I think my scream of shock made him decide it wasn't a good idea. That was certainly a form of unplanned behavior modification on my part. Ever since he has only gone outside. He does 'cover' any other p-scent he comes across outside and always covers my female grey's puddles. Honestly, half the time he is just shooting air...

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

I don't have any dogs that mark, but I have had some try. My Whippet NEVER has and he was intact for six years, and I had intact bitches, too. He was never bred. However, he was housebroken by me as an 8-9 week old baby. He wouldn't dream of pissing anywhere inappropriate.

 

Most kennel dogs (of any breed) that I bring home assume the position- a few times. Behavior mod can definitely work IMHO. You have to tether the dog to you and as soon as he sniffs something with that "look" before he steps forward to ** his leg, you have to say NO and pop the leash. You have to watch like a hawk and you have to keep a short leash. You have to be able to read a dog instantly. The dog' head needs to be UP. Do not let him sniff anything in the store or house. Tell him NO! Don't even THINK about it bucko! That works for me. If you are not with the dog, he needs to be in a crate.

[Guest Swifthounds]

I guess I was lucky - my male only marked once in the house and (unfortunately) it was when we just brought him home - he walked casually into the bedroom, jumped on the bed and peed on the new quilt. I think my scream of shock made him decide it wasn't a good idea. That was certainly a form of unplanned behavior modification on my part. Ever since he has only gone outside. He does 'cover' any other p-scent he comes across outside and always covers my female grey's puddles. Honestly, half the time he is just shooting air...

 

That's another thing I don't teach my hounds is acceptable - peeing where everyone else has peed (in the yard or on a walk). You can read p-mail if you can do it and keep the pace, but we pause for potty only, so my hounds know if they're stopping, they're emptying.

[JaneW]

oh dear! Mine is a girl and none of your options quite match. She does not mark in our house. She will mark in another house if another dog has peed there. She marks outside as much as I will allow. Obedience commands will usually distract her when I get tired of stopping every 50 ft.

[Guest Liz_in_PA]

Dash would prefer to mark everything. Outside, I've gotten him down to mostly telephone poles and a few trees and he has reduced his sniffing. I give him a "good boy!" each time we walk past a good target.

 

Unfortunately, he's been stealth marking inside the house. He never does it when someone can see him. But someone's doing in while we're at work. They don't go longer than 5 hours without a break. He may have to go to wearing a belly band full time.

 

If anyone has good advice for eliminating stealth marking, please give it.

[Batmom]

If they've been good in the past, wouldn't hurt to run some pee samples to the vet for urinalysis.

[GeorgeofNE]

This is, IMHO, something you can train away.

 

You have to recognize the pre-mark behavior and correct BEFORE the leg gets lifted! A simple leash correction with a "Don't even think about it!" in the VOG worked for George.

 

I see far too many people who have no clue they don't have to let their dog pee wherever it wants, including nearly everyone in my condo complex. They make NO effort to take the dog where it's supposed to pee, as if they don't get that the dog CAN learn it's not OK to let one rip wherever.

 

If you have already tried this and failed, then if it were my dog, he'd wear a belly band out in public. Before entering a store or home or whatever, I would remove the band, take him to a suitable place, give him a chance to "real pee," and then I'd strap that band on until he got the point. Peeing happens OUTSIDE ONLY, PERIOD. No exceptions.

[Guest Swifthounds]

This is, IMHO, something you can train away.

 

Absolutely.

[Guest Samantha]

I have a girly. She marks outside a lot, so much so, that now ive had to stop having a stroll and now walk briskly so we don't have to stop every few minutes for her. She has marked once in my Moms house, and that was when my brother visited with my baby neice, and i think she could smell his dog on him maybe.

Edited May 19, 2010 by Samantha